Cobbles from Hell
The brutal cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix make it the most feared race of the year for cyclists, but at the same time, the most beloved by fans. The toughness of the race is legendary, and falls and accidents turn it into a survival race that makes us experience an epic cycling from another era. Also known as "the Queen of the Classics" and "the Hell of the North," the third monument of the year marks the end of the cobbled season, and is the most spectacular ending possible: the sections on the famous “pavés”, which the association les Amis de Paris-Roubaix carefully restores during the year using a traditional technique without cement (only with dirt between the cobblestones), make the cobbles in Flanders look like a highway.
Women's race
The women's race on Saturday covers a route of 145 kilometers with 18 cobbled sectors. In total, the cyclists will have to overcome 30 kilometers on cobblestones, all of them concentrated in the last two-thirds of the race. The toughest and most emblematic sectors are Mons-en-Pévèle (3000 meters, 46 km from the finish) and Carrefour de l'Arbre (2100 meters, 16 km from the finish).
Favorites: Elisa Longo Borghini (1200), Lotte Kopecky (1000), Elise Chabbey (1000), Floortje Mackaij (600), Marianne Vos (1200), Pfeiffer Georgi (600) and Marta Bastianelli (800) are the most prominent names in the provisional start list.
Men's race
The men's race covers 258 kilometers, with 30 sections of pavés adding up to more than 50 kilometers on cobbles. The entire final part of the route is the same as that of the women's race, but the men’s event presents 12 more sections, including the beautiful Trouée d'Aremberg (2300 meters, 97 km from the finish).
Favorites: Mathieu Van Der Poel (1200), Wout Van Aert (1200), Christophe Laporte (800), Mads Pedersen (1000), Jasper Philipsen (1200), Alexander Kristoff (800), Dylan Van Baarle (400), Yves Lampaert (400), Arnaud Demare (1000), Jasper Stuyven (600), Nils Politt (400).
Photo: © A.S.O./Pauline Ballet